


The Real Gift of Arceus

by orphan_account



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pokemon Fan Games, Pokemon Reborn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Tragedy, Crack Treated Seriously, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, im sorry, this is literally a shitpost, this is what your brain looks like on quarantine, where the fuck is fern and lin???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23325364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: In which soulmates exist, and Elias just wanted to get the Ruby Ring and Amethyst Pendant.
Relationships: Radomus Vanhanen/Elias (Pokemon Reborn)
Kudos: 3





	The Real Gift of Arceus

* * *

Finding your twin soul is a feeling equally as robust as it is true vulnerability. A sudden realization that you’ve found the person born of the same flame as you, to have tethered yourself down to be caught in their divine spell. With words you can be mended, and with words you can be broken. The promise of the Lord, that on the account of the error of your ways and lest you fall to your own wickedness, you will find your salvation.

Bonded pairs, kindred spirits, all have the same meaning. Soulmates. 

That day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. You look upon someone, and know that He has sent an angel down just for you. 

That moment came twice for me. 

The first time, I hadn’t fully realized what it was. Being blind from birth, the myriad of colours and faces was unknown, and irrelevant, to me. I had every other sensation to call upon, but in that moment it’s true significance was lost to me. I could only feel that warmth in my chest, without knowledge or reason of where it came from.

Then, I was bestowed with Arceus’ gift: sight. And the second time, under the light of the Citae, _this_ image belonged to me.

Despite this, even with the gift, I hesitated. And so did he. No, my mind insisted. _No._ Fate couldn’t possibly be this cruel.

But I knew he had felt it too. The moment our eyes met, that glaze of apathy over the chess-master’s eyes cracked. His breath hitched, and he falteringly took a step backwards. 

It was gone as quickly as it came. Instantly, he was back at full arching height. Only I had noticed it. His facade was betrayed by the slight of his eyes calculatingly sweeping over the rest of the spectators, in a semblance to desperately grapple with what he had just felt. 

Was it the magic of the Citae? A slight play of my pieces that had invariably changed something? I could only guess what was racing through his mind.

No one else had felt anything out of the ordinary. Adrienn had grouped xemselves with the two teenagers, xyr gaze perplexed at the situation before them. The “Gardevoir” was still by my side, of course. Prior to this, I was apt to settle with trying to coax Adrienn’s confidence back to my side. Perhaps the two other trainers as well, however that was more unlikely considering my obtainment of the keys.

But now, I was unsatisfied. That wasn’t enough.

“What should we do, Decibel?” Cain hissed to the other Pokémon trainer, his eyes trained over on the Gardevoir. She stared back pleadingly, convincingly. “If she’s telling the truth, then that means Radomus is...”

Said chess-master had fully brushed off his earlier falter, and continued standing there in silence. He merely rose an eyebrow at Cain, acknowledging his words, but didn’t grace the boy with a response. With just a few carefully worded pleas and Radomus’s apparent lack of sympathy for the situation before him, I could turn my case into one of a martyr’s. 

But that didn’t matter to me anymore. So, I was only moderately disappointed when the other trainer, Decibel, met my eyes with a sharp glare and took the side of the chess-master. It was unfortunate, but an otherwise anticipated response from them.

I allowed Radomus to immediately proceed into his spile and break down the situation before him, to the astonishment of the others. I felt a small frown crease over my face, mildly annoyed. The man claimed he read the situation accurately from the beginning, that he had meticulously plotted his every move, word, action prior.

“As tenacious as ever, Radomus.” With the charade broken, I waved my hand to my side and the form of my Gardevoir warbled, melting back down into one of a Ditto. “I suspected it was a show of arrogance, initially. But it seems that you’ve been humouring me this whole time.”

“I am a Psychic-type trainer, after all. It would be a disgrace if I couldn’t live up to the basics of my namesake.” Radomus responded deftly, his tone confident. I could see past it all with Arceus’s gift, as eyes are the true mirrors into the soul. And in an unexpected show of immaturity, the gym leader had been avoiding meeting my gaze.

“Surely there are some things that you couldn’t have anticipated.” I said, with a chastising slip. My gaze was still trailed over the chess-master’s ardently turned face. “The Lord truly works in mysterious ways.”

That got the chess-master’s eyes to finally snap back up, and instantaneously there was that _jolt_ straight through my chest, a sinking confirmation for both him and I. I had to force back a bitter laugh. As fate would have it, with my gift comes a second chance. 

In the form of this. 

_The Lord truly works in mysterious ways._ I couldn’t question it. Under the light of the Citae, I knew that this was the right move. I forced my doubts, my worries, and last vestiges of my previous connection back down, as there was no room for regret in the work of the Lord. I merely was a small piece in a far larger plan.

And unwittingly, so was Radomus.

“That’s enough,” I murmured, before turning to the Pokémon by my side. “Ditto, embrace the light. Let the power of the Alpha grace you.” 

Wordlessly the morphing Pokémon complied, and it’s form was alit with a dazzling pure white, reflecting against the shine of the Citae. And the form grew and grew, the surrounding trainers backing up in a mixture of stunned horror and amazement.

Those gold-plated hooves silently touched the floor, and the mirror image of Arceus stared back. Under the surface, it was merely a cheap replica—but still a gracious lend of the Lord’s power. It was more than enough to take what I needed. 

For a moment, I was tempted to divert. To attack the chess-master instead, singing for any type of further interaction with him. But I had sworn not be led astray, and he was no exception. So my Ditto turned to face Decibel, still in possession of one of those precarious keys, and the Arceus-duplicate lunged forward in attack.

With a swift crack against the ground, the trainer had released one of their Pokémon, the glowing form materialising into the figure of a Charizard. The Pokémon’s arms swung forward to claw at the Arceus-duplicate’s front, trying to push it away. I flicked my hand forward, and within seconds the Shadow Ball sent from my Ditto was intercepted by a Dragon Claw from the Charizard. 

The struggle began anew, and each move was parried back and forth, but it was clear it was taking its strain upon the Charizard. The Fire-type managed to break through several times, nicking and scorning the side of my Pokémon as it’s trainer watched in dawning realisation that they were on the losing side. I swiped my hand through the air, and the Arceus-duplicate rose to the air in a trail of light. Before the Charizard or trainer had the chance to retaliate, the Alpha’s judgement rained down. 

The dragon was struck from the sky and before it struck the ground, the red beam of withdrawal drew it back in. The trainer’s gaze was steely as they minimized the Pokéball. The moment of reprieve allowed me to glance over to the other trainers— appearing equally as struck as Decibel, torn between risking interference or being stuck to watch in abject silence. 

And Radomus showed nothing at all, calculating, as if completely mesmerized by what was happening before him. Likely forming some type of plan, utilizing this distraction.

Before I could ponder on this further, I was interrupted by Decibel sending out their second Pokémon. The Alolan-Ninetales landed gracefully on the pads of its paws, and only moments later a flurry of wind picked up around the battlefield. Delicate bits of snow had already begun falling from the Ninetales’ ability.

The other trainers seemed to have been taken aback; the very setting of the Citae was one of fairytales, myths. Each flake in the air caught on the ethereal light of the Citae and cast the scene alit, likely akin to scene from any storybook they must’ve read. It was an amusing thought, accompanied with the fact that any trainer from that accursed City likely hadn’t seen true beauty before to begin with.

But I knew better. Within minutes, the frantic snowfall would become a blistering and biting wind. Leaving things unchecked for what they were right now, rather than anticipating what they would be, was dangerous.

And of course the trainer cut straight to the chase, taking advantage the moment to get to setting up. I more or less let them. They were likely anticipating an easy sweep, once they had gotten their stats to an absurd level. 

The moment the _Nasty Plot_ had gone through, before the Ninetales or Decibel could process anything, the _Judgement_ attack had already been launched skyward. And from it streaks of light spun out, before collapsing into a shower of falling stars. The very light of the Citae warped the attack, amplifying the elements and, _oh how lucky_ , those very meteors shifted into balls of fire, raining from the heavens above.

The Ninetales had a Focus Sash, managing to stumble out of the attack with its worried trainer calling for it. Not that it would matter—for the draw of that attack had all but proved that Arceus Himself was looking upon this battle. It was over before it even began.

The Ninetales glared back up to my Ditto, and the wind picked up, the flurry of ice biting against my hands. It’s fur lit up, _Dazzling Gleam_ , and I knew that even with the boost of the Nasty Plot and field, it wouldn’t be able to singlehandedly take down the Arceus clone. All I needed to do was—

“That’s quite enough.” The chess-master suddenly rung out, somehow clear through the battle and haze of winter. I involuntarily stilled, frozen in my motions before I could issue a command. The Dazzling Gleam got off without a pitch, and my Arceus was struck backwards. 

I forced my eyes to dart up from Radomus’s gaze, back to the battle where the Arceus clone floated low, hesitatingly to the ground. The Dazzling Gleam had done more damage than anticipated and I couldn’t help but feel the pin-pricks of irritation, as I silently damned myself for the falter.

The Alolan-Ninetales limped forward, baring it’s teeth at the Arceus clone as the fox prepared another, likely would be finishing attack. A frown crossed my expression, and I rose my hand to have my Arceus simply use a Recover—

“I hope you didn’t misunderstand me—“ There was a sharp _snapping_ sound—as if the air around us was displaced. A tell-tale whir of a Pokémon teleporting in. Before I could swivel around to the new arrival, my Ditto was thrown backwards by a blast of energy. An attack made by a Pokémon much more powerful than Decibel’s.

Almost instantly, my Ditto’s form splintered apart, and the morphing Pokémon collapsed into a pile. “I believe that this has gone on for long enough.” Radomus said simply, postured straight with that gaudy cane tapping upon the floor. By his side was the Gardevoir—the one I had been impersonating before. She had attached herself to his side, a boisterous look upon her face.

Cain and Adrienn wearily stepped forward, the threat of the Arceus now gone. Decibel went to the side of their Ninetales, healing items already in hand.

“So—this... this is the real Gardevoir?” Adrienn said cautiously, xyr gaze over the Gardevoir, who immediately struck a smile to xem.

“Why yes, it’s me! The other me was quite convincing though, no? Oh master, oh Adrienn, save me, oh save me~!” The Gardevoir sung, putting her arms to the sides of her face in mock distress.

Adrienn flushed red. “You.. you certainly are more lively.” Xe mustered, and the Gardevoir giggled in response.

My attention wasn’t on them though. My gaze was leveled on Radomus, in a proverbial glare that I couldn’t help. His face was set rigid, with an air of assurance and with the sense that he was traveling down a predicted path. Everything about that false confidence wasn’t simply irritating to me, but infuriating.

Finally, Radomus caught my eye. Rather than instantly retracting his gaze, like he had before, he challenged it. His fists momentarily curled beneath him as he spoke, stilled against his legs, before he relaxed them and spoke once more, still unbreaking. “We aren’t finished yet, Gardevoir.”

I couldn’t see the Pokémon, and hadn’t paid her any mind before, but I could feel a sharp look upon the back of my head. She was unquestionably silent, as if it were taking her a few moments to absorb the situation. 

Radomus paused, a befuddled look crossing his face. “Gardevoir?”

For a moment, I was equally confused and despite myself, I broke my eyes away from Radomus and turned to the Gardevoir. She was completely frozen, and very obviously pale and all the blood having rushed out of her face. She was stricken, as if horrified by what she saw, and— _oh. Wasn’t this just lovely?_

Evidently there was something Radomus hadn’t noticed, and it was clear as day. The Gardevoir’s eyes flitted to mine, and instantly they twisted up into anger, pure and unfiltered fury as the Pokémon was enveloped in a pale glow, pure energy crackling around her. “You—“ Was all she could muster, too angry to even form proper words. 

“What—“ Radomus said sharply, taken off-guard by his Gardevoir’s reaction. Despite the literal threat of harm facing me down, I couldn’t help but feel more than victorious at this outcome—that there was something the man hadn’t predicted in a long string of events, a single unmistakable flaw that had completely disrupted and tore apart whatever meticulous plan he had.

The Ring was forfeit. But there would always be another time for that, and I had the Pendant already in my possession. This was more than enough. “Ditto!” I called, and the amorphous Pokémon sprung up from its position. It was still heavily injured, but sheer resilience and experience on its side brought it through.

“How _dare_ you—!” An orb of energy had formed between the hands of the Psychic type, a dazzling display as the Pokémon put all of her power into the attack. Before Radomus could even attempt to intercept the attack, she shot the blast towards me. However, my Ditto was to my side quicker, and within mere moments it had mimicked the form of the Gardevoir.

A single touch was all it needed, and we were both teleported away. 

The towering pillars and alcoves of the Citae were replaced with low-hanging branches and grass beneath our feet as we materialised in a forest. I nodded to my Ditto, and gently tapped it with its Pokéball, giving it time for some much deserved rest. And in the still of the forest, I finally allowed myself to close my eyes in this moment of repose.

Upon being given sight, it granted me far more than just colours to see and places to beholden. I now had faces to recognize and names to apply to them. Terms were made physical, and I could read the subtlety of actions from others. For the first time, I could see past what I was told. 

If I had met Radomus earlier, before I was graced with sight, I’m doubtful that connection we currently bear would exist. And likewise, if I had been blessed earlier, the bond I shared with Solaris likely wouldn’t have presented itself either. 

All of that I bear today. And the gift of Arceus has allowed me to see more than others.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by that one ask on Amethyst’s Tumblr and written and posted at 2 AM. Dedicated to the Anon who submitted the ask. I’m still in shock that I actually wrote this thing. 
> 
> The player character in this is based off of mine. My character’s named Dimitri but I felt like that would be confusing here, so I just went for Decibel as that’s the default name.
> 
> I’ve deleted and redone this author note thing a couple times, since I’m honestly lost at words of what I should say here, or if I should apologize for it.


End file.
